1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for treating the surface of an oxygen permeable hard contact lens. More particularly, it relates to a method for treating the surface of an oxygen permeable hard contact lens to give good water-wetting properties to the surface of the oxygen permeable hard contact lens.
2. DISCUSSION OF BACKGROUND
In recent years, oxygen permeable hard contact lenses made essentially of a silicone-containing (meth)acrylate and/or a fluorine-containing (meth)acrylate, have attracted an attention as hard contact lenses having excellent oxygen permeability and hardness simultaneously.
Such oxygen permeable hard contact lenses have practically satisfactory oxygen permeability and hardness as well as hydrophilic properties of the surface. However, in order to more sufficiently provide the performance as contact lenses, it is desired to further improve the affinity with tears i.e. the water-wetting properties.
As a method of giving water-wetting properties to contact lenses, it has been proposed to apply plasma treatment to the contact lenses in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to give hydrophilic properties, as disclosed in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,014. However, such a method has a drawback that when it is employed, the material of the contact lenses tends to deteriorate and becomes brittle.